Coal-conveyer for locomotive-tanks.



"PATEN-TED APR. 28, 1902;.

L. ELLEWIS.

GOAL, CONVEYER FOR LOOOMOTIVE TANKS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 18, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Leslie/1! Lewis NlTED STATES 7 \ATENT FFICE.

COAL-CONVEYER FO R-LOCOMOTlVE-TAN KS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,711, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed February 18, 1903. Serial No. 144,008. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LESLIE I-I. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lexing-' ton, in the county of Fayette and State of Kentucky,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Goal-Conveyors for'Locomotive-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means for conveying the coal in locomotive-tanks to within easy reach of the fireman; and my invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a locomotive-tank equipped with appara tus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a section on line at t of Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

Reference-letter A denotes a locomotivetank; B, the pit therein; 0, 0, C and O spiral or worm conveyors for conveying the coal; D, a shaft for operating conveyors O, (3', and 0 E, a rock-shaft operating shaft D and conveyor C and F a steam-engine cylinder for operating shaft E.

The tank A is one of the usualforms of railway-locomotive tanks provided with the usual pit B. The bottom of the upper coal-carrying portion of the tank is provided with ridges a, forming hoppers a between them, and the conveyors G, O, and C are mounted in hoppers a. vided at their forward ends with worm-gears c, meshing with a corresponding worm-gear on shaft D, and the shaft 0 of conveyor 0 is extended over the pit to the forward end of the tank,where it is provided with a worm-gear 0 also meshing with a corresponding wormgear on shaft D. It will be seen that the result of this arrangement is that upon rotation of shaft D, as indicated, conveyers O, O, and C are rotated in such manner as to carry the coal in the upper portion of the tank forward and deliver it into pit B.

The shaft D is operated through the medium of rock-shaft E, which is rocked by steam-engine cylinder F through the medium of a rook-arm e and extended piston-rod f. Shafts D and E are respectively. provided Conveyors C and C are prowith rock-arms d and e, which are connected by rod d, having a ball-bearing in each. The

rock-arm cl on shaft D has a paWl-and-ratchet engagement therewith, as shown in Fig. 6. by means of which the rocking of shaft E causes rotation of shaft D, as indicated. A

set-screw 61 serves to throw the pawl out of engagement, and so to disconnect shafts D and E.

The pit B is provided with a hoppered bottom having a central curved trough b, in which conveyor 0 lies. The conveyer G is journaled at two points a at the rear and simply lies in trough b, not being journaled at the front. Rock-arms o and e and connecting-rod e serve to operate conveyor 0 from rock-shaft E. Operation of conveyor 0 carries the coal in pit B forward and delivers it onto the firemans platform within easy reach of the fireman.

It will be noted that the speed of rotation of conveyor 0 will be much faster than that of conveyors C, O, and 0 since the former is directly connected with shaft E, while the latter are indirectly connected therewith through the medium of worm-gears. The relation between the speeds of the conveyors is preferably sucllthat conveyor Cicarries all the coal delivered to it by conveyors G, O,

and C At first, when the tank and pit are full, conveyerC is alone operated to deliver the coal'in the pit to the fireman. As the supply in the pit becomes exhausted, the conveyers C, O, and C are startedby-loosening set-screw d whereupon the coal in the upper part of the tank is delivered into the pit, whence conveyor 0 carries it to the forward part of the tank and delivers it to the fireman.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of apparatus for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of many variations and changes Without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not wish to be confined to the exact construction disclosed; but i What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a locomotive-tank having its bottom formed into two or more hoppersg, screw conveyors mounted in the veyors, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a locomotive-tank having upper and lower coal-compartments; a screw conveyor mounted in the lower oonr partment and adapted to deliver coal to the forward end of the tank; two or more screw conveyers mounted in the upper compartment and adapted to deliver coal to the lower compartment; and means for operating the conveyers, substantially as specified.

The combination of a locomotive-tank having upper and lower coal-compartments; a screw conveyer mounted in the lower compartment and adapted to deliver coal to the forward end of the tank; a series of ridges forming the bottom of the upper compartment into longitudinal hoppers; two or more screw conveyers mounted in said hoppers and adapted to delivercoal to the lower compartment; and means for operating the conveycrs, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a locomotive-tank having upper and lower coal-compartments; a hoppered bottom for the lower compartment, provided with a central longitudinal curved trough; a screw conveyer mounted in the trough in the bottom of the lower compartment and adapted to deliver coal to the forward end of the tank; a series of ridges forming the bottom of the upper compartment into longitudinal hoppers; two or more screw conveyers mounted in said hoppers and adapted to deliver coal to the lower compartment; and means for operating the conveyers, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a locomotive-tank having upper and lower coal-compartments; a screw conveyer mounted in the lower compartment and adapted to deliver coal to the forward end of the tank; two or more screw conveyers mounted in the upper oompart: ment and adapted to delivercoal to the lower compartment; means for operating the conveyers in the nppercompartment; and means for operating the conveyerin the lower compartment independently of thosein the upper compartment, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of a locomotive-tank having upper and lower coal-compartments; a screw 'conveyer mounted in the lower compartment and adapted to deliver coal to the forward end of the tank; two or more screw con veyers mounted in the upper compartment and adapted to deliver coal to the lower compartment; means for operating the con veyersin the upper compartment; and means for operating the conveyor in the lower compartment at greater speed than those in the upper compartment, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of tank A; pit 13; conveyors C, C and O in the upper portion of tank A; conveyor C in pit B; shaft D for operating con veyers O, C and C shaft E; rockarm (Z on shaft D, having a ratchet connection therewith, and provided with set-screw d for rendering the pawl inoperative; rockarm 6 on shaft E; connecting-rod (1 connecting arms (1 and e and having a ball-bearing in each; rock-arm e on shaft E; ratcheted rock-arm c on conveyer O rod 6 connecting arms 6 and c and means for operating shaft E, substantially as specified.

8. The combination of tank A having its upper compartment provided with hoppers a; pit B having a hoppered bottom provided with trough b; conveyers O, C and O mounted in hoppers a; shaft D for operating conveyers O, O and C shaft E; rock-arm d on shaft D, having a ratchet connection therewith, and provided with set-screw d for rendering the pawl inoperative; rock-arm e on shaft E; connecting-rod d connecting arms d and c, and having a ball-bearing in each; rock-arm e on shaft E; ratcheted rock-arm c on conveyor 0 rod 6 connecting arms 6 and c; and engine-cylinder F for operating shaft E, substantially as specified.

LESLIE H. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE E. PARKINSON, EVELYN ASH. 

